Bobcat Tales

SLVE Mission Statement

“We are a supportive team of educators, collaborating with our community, dedicated to nurturing critical thinking, social-emotional growth, and a lifelong love of learning. Rooted in equity and inclusion, we strive to educate and prepare responsible, compassionate citizens through strong partnerships and engaging learning experiences.”

Mark Your Calendar

February 2nd: Kindergarten/Transitional Kindergarten registration opens

February 12th: Spring Picture Day/Last day for STEAM Expo registration

February 13th: SLVE Intent to Return Form due

February 16th-20th: February Break

February 24th: CSA Food Box Distribution

February 26th: SLV Elementary STEAM Expo

A Message From Mrs. Ponza

100th Day of School

On Monday, students and teachers celebrated the 100th day of school. Students made necklaces with 100 Fruit Loops on them, 100th day glasses and amazing 100 Collection posters!! It was a very exciting day. It's hard to believe we have already surpassed the 100th day. With 180 student days of school, we are definitely moving quickly through our school year.

SLVE First Annual Kindness Parade

Students had a blast dancing through the halls for our first ever Kindness Parade. Coach Rose and Coach John led students in a kindness filled parade through the halls, where students waved, smiled, and said hello to other classes. Many students proudly wore shirts with kind messages and carried hand-drawn signs to help spread positivity throughout the school.

Thank you to the families who were able to join us and to our teachers for supporting students in spreading kindness all week long. Many students completed the Kindness Checklist and earned a special treat at the end of the school day—way to go!

5th Grade Science Camp

We were excited to welcome our 5th grade students and their teachers back from Science Camp today. At camp, students had the opportunity to bring learning to life through hands-on science, outdoor exploration, and teamwork. Science Camp is also a place where students build confidence, strengthen friendships, and create lasting memories with their peers and teachers.A big thank you to the 5th grade teacher team for supporting and guiding students throughout this amazing experience!

San Lorenzo Valley Elementary Intent to Return Form~Please complete

It is hard to believe but it is time for us to start thinking about next year. We ask that EVERY SLVE family complete the Intent to Return form. We need to know about each and every student so we can plan classes and staffing for next year. Please click on this link: SLVE Intent to Return Form to complete the form. All forms need to be submitted no later than Friday, 2/13.

The SLVE STEAM EXPO is coming!

Do you love science experiments? Inventing things? Engineering to solve a problem? If so, this is for you! Any student can participate, TK-5th grade. In addition to traditional projects that follow the scientific method or engineering design process, the STEAM Expo invites projects that are demonstrations or inventions/creations that do not necessarily include testing or evaluating for effectiveness. Please click on the SLVE Website Link to learn how your student can be a part of this amazing opportunity!

February PBIS Theme: Respect

Our PBIS theme for February is Respect. Students will be learning what respect looks like in the classroom and across different school settings. Respect is one of our three PBIS pillars: Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible.

Throughout the month, teachers will nominate students who demonstrate respect to receive the Respect Award. Families of award recipients will be invited to attend our assembly on February 25th to help us honor and celebrate their students.

School Store Update
Our next school store will be on Friday, January 30th during recess. Thank you so much for all of your generous donations to the school store. Students are enjoying new items in the school store, including food and larger prizes. If you would like to donate to the school store, please visit this link: SLVE Bobcat Store Wishlist.

Interested in helping host the school store monthly? We are looking for some parent volunteers who would like to help run our school store by setting up, hosting, and cleaning up the school store once a month in the Library or MU room. Please contact Sage Alves malves@slvusd.org if you are interested!

Interested in helping host the school store monthly? We are looking for some parent volunteers who would like to help run our school store by setting up, hosting, and cleaning up the school store once a month in the Library or MU room. Please contact Sage Alves malves@slvusd.org if you are interested!

Parent Learning on Childhood Anxiety~Last 2 Sessions

Feb. 3rd and 10th, 3:30-4:30 SLVE Library

We had great participation in our Spirited Child/Childhood Anxiety class. It is not too late, if you'd like to join. There are 2 sessions left. Sessions take place in the SLVE Library from 3:30-4:30. There is free childcare available and a virtual option. If you are interested in participating in this learning series please read the flier below and register using the QR code. If you have questions regarding this learning opportunity please don't hesitate to reach out to Kim Ponza kponza@slvusd.org or Sage Alves at salves@slvusd.org. We'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

SLV Warriors Night Tickets on Sale! Join us for SLV night at the Santa Cruz Warriors! We will all be in the same section together! We will have fun and raise a little bit of money for our school! Buy Tickets Now! There are only 43 tickets left!

They make a great holiday gift!

Buy a Yearbook! You must buy by May 1 to get it shipped to school! https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1016914162674592

5th-grade families, don't forget to add a recognition ad for your 5th grader when you check out!

Save the Dates!

January 31: Warriors Game - ALL SLV NIGHT
February 10: Bobcat Club Meeting
February 27: Family Movie Night
March 26: Fun Run
April 14: Bobcat Club Meeting
April 24: Spring Auction at Roaring Camp
April 30: Open House
May 4-8: Staff Appreciation Week
May 12: Bobcat Club Meeting and Elections

Buy Bobcat Gear

https://san-lorenzo-valley-elementary.myspreadshop.com

Sign up for our Newsletter

http://eepurl.com/cfcuQo

What is the Bobcat Club?

Join the Bobcat Club and help make San Lorenzo Valley Elementary the best it can be! We’re the school’s parent-teacher organization, funding programs (art, ceramics, lifelab), field trip buses, assemblies, and campus improvements that enrich every student’s experience. Your involvement—big or small—helps create a stronger, more connected school community. Learn more and get involved at slvebobcatclub.org

Family Education Night March 5th~Save the Date!

We invite families to attend a Family Education Night focused on keeping children safe online. SLVE and BCE are partnering with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department to offer the Vigilant Parent Program, which provides valuable information about technology safety, social media, gaming, and current online risks for children. See more information below.

Cradle to Career Update

Cradle to Career will distribute free CSA boxes to families within the district—no eligibility requirements apply. Anyone, regardless of income, is welcome to take a box. Each box is filled with fresh fruits and vegetables from Live Earth Farm. Students riding the bus can also take home a box in an easy-to-carry grocery bag. If you would like your student to take home a bag, please remind them to grab one at the bus line.

Thank you!

Claudia Coblea@c2cscc.org or call/text at 831-325-2390.

Triple P Parenting Classes

Triple P Positive Parenting topical workshop flyers for January.

Información sobre programas en español disponibles en el sitio web.

Each flyer has its own unique link to register for each class, or go to https://www.first5scc.org/triple-p-classes and register on the website. All of these classes are on Zoom!

Workshops are all free, and grant funded by First Five of Santa Cruz.

Individual sessions are also available for free or sliding scale. If you are interested in a 1:1 session, please contact First Five of Santa Cruz at First 5 Santa Cruz County at (831) 465-2217 or

Creating a Safe and Caring School for Everyone at SLVE

At San Lorenzo Valley Elementary, we want to start the school year by sharing something very important: we do not allow any form of hate, bullying, or unkind behavior in our schools. Every student and adult deserves to feel safe, respected, and welcome—always.

We are proud of the many different backgrounds, families, and identities that make up our school community. We believe every student should be treated with kindness, no matter their race, abilities, gender, religion, or family structure.

Here’s how we support a safe and inclusive school:

• We take all reports of bullying, body shaming, or hateful actions seriously and follow our rules to keep everyone safe.

• We teach students about kindness, respect, and how to treat others through class lessons and school activities.

• We provide counseling and support to students and families who need it.

We ask for your help at home, too. Please talk with your children about treating others with empathy and kindness.

Together, we can make sure our schools are places where every student can learn, grow, and feel proud of who they are.

SLVE Mobile Device Policy 2025-2026

Electronic devices must be turned off and kept in the student's backpack during school hours, including breaks and lunch. If the devices are used during the school day, the District employee will confiscate the device and return it to the student's caretaker at the end of the school day. If a student needs to contact a family member during school hours, they can request permission from a district employee, and the office can facilitate the communication. We ask all families to support this new legal requirement and our staff by reviewing our updated policy and helping ensure your child(ren) understands and follows these guidelines. Together, we can support their focus on academics, healthy social development, and the meaningful, positive interactions happening around them every day. Electronic devices also apply to, but are not limited to, headphones, AirPods, earbuds, portable speakers, smartwatches, and tablets.

Attendance Matters

We'd like to emphasize the importance of daily attendance for your student.

We know people get sick, people get injured, and there can be family or life responsibilities and other issues that are reasonable and excused. But if your student can attend, they need to be in school.

If your student is out for three or more consecutive days, we may request a doctor’s note to continue excusing the absences. Students who miss 3-5 days will receive a Chronic Absence letter. We will then meet with those families to attempt to support the student attending school. On the second Chronic Absence Letter, families may be required to meet at the District Office to put a plan in place for the student’s attendance. On the third Chronic Absence Letter, families may be required to meet with the County Office Student Attendance Review Board for truancy. Our goal is that nobody ever gets that far along with truancy. We are here to help and support, but it does start at home with the expectation that your student will attend school regularly. For more information please visit our SLVUSD Student Attendance Policy on the SLVUSD website.

Please remember that students who are absent 3 days or more should complete an independent study contract. Lisa Ghelardi, at lblairghelardi@slvusd.org our SLVE Registrar, will work with families to get the paperwork and the missed classwork assignments needed to complete the contract.

SLVE Reminders

• Please be sure to review the SLVE Bell Schedule which highlights start/end times throughout the day.
• Please be sure to send all students to school with a snack, even if they are getting a school lunch.
• The students are very hungry by morning recess. A snack helps to keep them focused and engaged until lunch time.
• Label all jackets, backpacks, water bottles and lunch bags.
• Make sure to communicate pick up plans with your student's teacher.
• Our perimeter gates will be closed from 8:30 am-2:00 pm each day. All visitors should enter the school through the front office and sign in.
• TK Pick Up Protocols
• Car Pick-Up: You may pick up your TK child through the car pick-up line at the flagpole between 12:15–12:20 p.m. (Wednesday pick-up begins at 12:15 p.m.).
• Please note: On Wednesdays, our buses need extra time to complete TK pick-up and return for upper-grade dismissal, so we appreciate your timeliness
• Classroom Door Pick-Up: If you prefer to pick up your child at the classroom door, please stop by the front office first to sign in and get a visitor pass. To help maintain campus security and minimize disruption to other classrooms still in session, we ask that you do not enter campus before 12:10 p.m.
• A lanyard for TK pick up will be distributed at Back to School Night. TK teachers will be discussing this protocol at that time.
• K-3rd Pick Up Protocols:
• Perimeter gates will open at 2:00 pm
• Car pick up:Teachers will walk classes out to the pick up area for both car and bus pick up.
• Classroom door pick up: if you would like to walk in to pick up your child, please do not come before 2:00 when gates open.
• In an effort to minimize noise and distractions for our 4th and 5th grade classrooms the SLVE Playstructure and Field of Dreams playground areas will be closed from 2:15-3:00 pm
• If you plan to remain on campus while waiting to pick up an upper-grade sibling between 2:15 and 3:00 p.m., we kindly ask that you wait at the picnic tables located under the shade structure on the basketball court playground. Your cooperation helps us maintain a quiet, focused and safe learning environment for all students through the end of the school day. Thank you for your continued support!
• 4th-5th Pick Up Protocols:
• Car pick up: Students will be walked to the pick up areas by their teachers at 3:00 pm
• Classroom Door pick up: If you are walking in to meet your student, please be sure to wait until 2:55.

Student Pick up Drop off

We are really needing to focus on safety during our pick up time each day. As a reminder, the far right lane is the ONLY lane that you may idle in to pick up your student. The middle lane is a drive thru lane only for parents who are driving up to park. If cars stop in the middle lane, buses CANNOT get up the hill to pass without going into the far left lane which is the exiting lane. There have been some close calls and unsafe situations where cars are stopped in the middle lane when buses are making the wide turn to go down the driveway to head out onto Highway 9. We would also like to remind you that the parking lot in front of the school office is reserved for teachers/staff only. Please do not stop there to drop off or pick up your student. We appreciate your role in helping to ensure the safety of our SLVE students and families.

Hello from the SLVUSD Transportation Department,

To register your student to ride the bus, there are two options:

1) Online on the Transportation Department’s page located on the SLVUSD.org website. Under Registration Information there is a clickable link to our Google Doc which will automatically update our department on your student’s registration.

2) At our office in the school bus yard located at 315 Marion Ave, Ben Lomond, half-way down the driveway to the District Office. For the safety of our mechanics and drivers, we ask that you park at the District Office and walk up the driveway to our office.

Information about payments for an annual or single semester bus pass for your student is also located on the Transportation Department’s page. To pay by card, please use LINQ Connect, just as you would for student lunches. To pay by cash/check, come to our office at the transportation yard. If your student receives government assistance and you would like to see about free or reduced-price bus passes, or if you have any questions at all, please call our office at 831-336-2223.

Thank you so much for your continued support for the safe transportation of students, and remember:

If the red lights are flashing, you shouldn’t be passin’!